Fearing an Israeli targeted strike, Hezbollah’s new chief relocates to Tehran – report

Qassem left Beirut for Tehran on October 5, accompanied by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

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OCTOBER 20, 2024 11:36Updated: OCTOBER 20, 2024 12:53
HEZBOLLAH DEPUTY leader Sheikh Naim Qassem speaks in Beirut, at a rally supporting Palestinians in Gaza(photo credit: ZOHRA BENSEMRA/REUTERS)
Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, has relocated from Lebanon to Iran out of fear that Israel may attempt to assassinate him, according to a Sunday report by the Emirati website Aram News, citing an Iranian source.

The Iranian source claimed, according to the website, that Qassem, who is considered the de facto leader of Hezbollah since the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, has been in Tehran since October 5.

The source added that Qassem left Beirut that same day on an Iranian plane, accompanied by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to Damascus, and from there, he continued to Tehran.

Under orders from Tehran

According to the source, Qassem’s second speech was broadcast from his residence in Tehran, while only the first was broadcast from Beirut.
Iranians carry a model of a missile during a celebration following the IRGC attack on Israel, in Tehran, Iran, April 15, 2024. (credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)
The Iranian source also claimed that Qassem’s transfer to Tehran was carried out under the orders of senior Iranian officials.

Content retrieved from: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-825304.